When you got sober, what were some new habits that replaced your old ones?
I usually drank at night (8pm-ish), then had dinner, then went to sleep. My wife still drinks around that 8pm time, so I want/need to fill that time.

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Here's what I did or currently do. The days and nights seemed unending once I got sober. Who knew there was so much time in the day. Just keep busy until you're comfortable with serenity.
- work
- gym
- AA meetings
- bike/run
- house chores and acts of service
- read
- call sponsor or call other people from the program
- meet people for coffee

likehelpful

I used to do the same thing. I'd make dinner, get the kids to bed by 8, and then crack open a bottle to numb myself to sleep. Reading at night has really helped me. It's still escapism, but it's a healthier form of it.

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What is escapism? I go on long bike rides nearly every weekend now, even both days. Thought it was good, but lately I feel like I use it to procrastinate life, chores, stillness.

I was not able to simply change my routine and pick up nre hobbies to get sober, I had to get busy in AA, and the effectively was the schedule change that worked for me.

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Same for me. AA kept me on the move!

I got into having some nice, potent loose leaf teas around that time. That or ice cream. A little further into sobriety I moved my workouts to that time of day which was by far the best choice and just totally flipped the script for me. I don’t even think twice about that habit anymore even though I’m back to am workouts.

So I’d say go for a walk. Workout. Do something active then.

Oh I also started taking magnesium threonate before bed. I was struggling to fall asleep a bit so the combo of workout plus the magnesium helped a ton. Just one other small tip.

Herbal teas is def a great idea. You’ll want to avoid caffeinated otherwise you’ll end up staying up later than you want because you can’t fall asleep (plus it can mind your mind race, which is never great for an alcoholic).

Reading and TV can be a good time filler. Choosing helpful books (mindfulness, self-improvement,etc.) is one of the things I’ve embraced.

Avoid social media to fill the hole.

Lastly, are you spending that time apart from your wife? Or do you just need something other than a drink in your hands and on your mind? Or both?

I played my game or flew my drone or just walked the dog.

Get busy helping others and being of service to your fellows in the program. You can't do this alone, gotta lose yourself in service, in my humble opinion.

I started going for walks during the time that I needed to occupy. Not only has it helped me remain sober but it has also helped me to get in better shape and just be healthier overall which is great.

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